Lakers Rumors: Latest Trade Talk, Free Agency and Pre-Draft Buzz for Los Angeles
The 2018 NBA draft probably won't be a memorable day for the Los Angeles Lakers, but as long as San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard is dangling out there on the trade market, there's hope for fans of the purple and gold.
The draft tips off tonight at 7 p.m. ET with the Phoenix Suns on the clock, but the Lakers will have to wait awhile until their name is called—they own the No. 25 pick, acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Despite not owning one of the top picks, Thursday has the potential to be a significant day for the Lakers organization. Leonard has requested a trade, and the Lakers are likely to be among the teams pursuing him. And while there's no indication that a trade is imminent, draft day trades are common, so there is a real possibility that Leonard could be on the move.
Here's a roundup of the latest Leonard rumors, as well as some news on who the Lakers could be targeting in the draft.
Latest on Kawhi Leonard
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski have reported that Leonard wants to end up in Los Angeles—either with the Lakers or Clippers—however, the Spurs aren't going to give up on him without a fight.
On Tuesday, according to Shelburne and Wojnarowski, Spurs coach Greg Popovich was in Southern California to meet with Leonard in an effort to smooth things over and potentially convince Leonard to rescind his trade demand.
It isn't easy to convince a star to back down from a demand, but Popovich has a history of working through tough times with his star players.
In January, ESPN.com's Michael C. Wright reported that the much-publicized issues between LaMarcus Aldridge and Popovich reached the point where Aldridge requested a trade during the summer of 2017. But after a sit-down between the two, Aldridge backed off his demand and ended up turning in his best year in San Antonio, leading the team with 23.1 points per game.
So while a trade to the Lakers remains a possibility, the fact that Popovich was able to get Leonard to agree to sit down and talk things out means there's probably still hope for him to remain in San Antonio.
The good news for the Lakers is that Thursday's NBA draft shouldn't represent a deadline for them to get a deal done. Since Los Angeles doesn't own a lottery pick, any package they put together for Leonard would be structured around current players, rather than draft picks.
Other teams potentially in the market for Leonard would likely need to include their 2018 draft pick in order to acquire the Spurs star. The Cleveland Cavaliers, who own the No. 8 pick, are perhaps the best example. For this reason, the Lakers may actually benefit from this week passing by without Leonard finding a new home, as it would narrow down the pool of potential suitors.
Lakers hoping for Maryland’s Kevin Huerter?
According to SI.com's Jeremy Woo, the Lakers made a promise to Maryland guard Kevin Huerter and would select him with the 25th pick if he's still on the board.
Woo also mentions that the promise prompted Huerter to end his workouts for teams a few weeks ago.
Any draft "promise" needs to be taken with a grain of salt because we never know who else may unexpectedly slide. But if the Lakers truly covet Huerter, they may need to trade up to make it happen.
Woo matches Huerter to the Spurs at No. 18 in his mock draft and mentions that he likely won't last until pick No. 25.
Anfernee Simons Could be Lakers target at No. 25
It's difficult to guess who the Lakers are truly interested in given the number of prospects they've worked out this year. According to Mike Bresnahan of Specturm SportsNet, that number has reached 125.
However, there could be some clues in the list of players they've worked out more than once.
According to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian, guard Anfernee Simons is among the players the Lakers have worked out multiple times.
Simons never played college ball, but after graduating high school, he spent a post-grad year at IMG Academy. So despite not testing his game at the college level, Simons is eligible for the NBA draft as he is one year removed from his high school graduation.
The Lakers roster is already loaded with young, developing talent, so the addition of Simons could be a sign that the Lakers are more interested in a long-term payoff than an instant-impact player with this selection.
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